Novel host compounds for red phosphorescent oleds

ABSTRACT

Novel compounds containing a triphenylene moiety linked to an αβ connected binaphthyl ring system are provided. These compounds have surprisingly good solubility in organic solvents and are useful as host compounds in red phosphorescent OLEDs.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/603,700 filed Feb. 27, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

GOVERNMENT RIGHTS

This invention was made with government support under contract number DE-EE0004534 awarded by Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.

JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

The claimed invention was made by, on behalf of, and/or in connection with one or more of the following parties to a joint university corporation research agreement: Regents of the University of Michigan, Princeton University, The University of Southern California, and the Universal Display Corporation. The agreement was in effect on and before the date the claimed invention was made, and the claimed invention was made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of the agreement.

FIELD

The present invention relates to novel triphenylene-containing binaphthyl compounds. In particular, these compounds are useful as materials that can be incorporated into OLED devices.

BACKGROUND

Opto-electronic devices that make use of organic materials are becoming increasingly desirable for a number of reasons. Many of the materials used to make such devices are relatively inexpensive, so organic opto-electronic devices have the potential for cost advantages over inorganic devices. In addition, the inherent properties of organic materials, such as their flexibility, may make them well suited for particular applications such as fabrication on a flexible substrate. Examples of organic opto-electronic devices include organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), organic phototransistors, organic photovoltaic cells, and organic photodetectors. For OLEDs, the organic materials may have performance advantages over conventional materials. For example, the wavelength at which an organic emissive layer emits light may generally be readily tuned with appropriate dopants.

OLEDs make use of thin organic films that emit light when voltage is applied across the device. OLEDs are becoming an increasingly interesting technology for use in applications such as flat panel displays, illumination, and backlighting. Several OLED materials and configurations are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,363, 6,303,238, and 5,707,745, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

One application for phosphorescent emissive molecules is a full color display. Industry standards for such a display call for pixels adapted to emit particular colors, referred to as “saturated” colors. In particular, these standards call for saturated red, green, and blue pixels. Color may be measured using CIE coordinates, which are well known to the art.

One example of a green emissive molecule is tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium, denoted Ir(ppy)₃, which has the following structure:

In this, and later figures herein, we depict the dative bond from nitrogen to metal (here, Ir) as a straight line.

As used herein, the term “organic” includes polymeric materials as well as small molecule organic materials that may be used to fabricate organic opto-electronic devices. “Small molecule” refers to any organic material that is not a polymer, and “small molecules” may actually be quite large. Small molecules may include repeat units in some circumstances. For example, using a long chain alkyl group as a substituent does not remove a molecule from the “small molecule” class. Small molecules may also be incorporated into polymers, for example as a pendent group on a polymer backbone or as a part of the backbone. Small molecules may also serve as the core moiety of a dendrimer, which consists of a series of chemical shells built on the core moiety. The core moiety of a dendrimer may be a fluorescent or phosphorescent small molecule emitter. A dendrimer may be a “small molecule,” and it is believed that all dendrimers currently used in the field of OLEDs are small molecules.

As used herein, “top” means furthest away from the substrate, while “bottom” means closest to the substrate. Where a first layer is described as “disposed over” a second layer, the first layer is disposed further away from substrate. There may be other layers between the first and second layer, unless it is specified that the first layer is “in contact with” the second layer. For example, a cathode may be described as “disposed over” an anode, even though there are various organic layers in between.

As used herein, “solution processible” means capable of being dissolved, dispersed, or transported in and/or deposited from a liquid medium, either in solution or suspension form.

A ligand may be referred to as “photoactive” when it is believed that the ligand directly contributes to the photoactive properties of an emissive material. A ligand may be referred to as “ancillary” when it is believed that the ligand does not contribute to the photoactive properties of an emissive material, although an ancillary ligand may alter the properties of a photoactive ligand.

As used herein, and as would be generally understood by one skilled in the art, a first “Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital” (HOMO) or “Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital” (LUMO) energy level is “greater than” or “higher than” a second HOMO or LUMO energy level if the first energy level is closer to the vacuum energy level. Since ionization potentials (IP) are measured as a negative energy relative to a vacuum level, a higher HOMO energy level corresponds to an IP having a smaller absolute value (an IP that is less negative). Similarly, a higher LUMO energy level corresponds to an electron affinity (EA) having a smaller absolute value (an EA that is less negative). On a conventional energy level diagram, with the vacuum level at the top, the LUMO energy level of a material is higher than the HOMO energy level of the same material. A “higher” HOMO or LUMO energy level appears closer to the top of such a diagram than a “lower” HOMO or LUMO energy level.

As used herein, and as would be generally understood by one skilled in the art, a first work function is “greater than” or “higher than” a second work function if the first work function has a higher absolute value. Because work functions are generally measured as negative numbers relative to vacuum level, this means that a “higher” work function is more negative. On a conventional energy level diagram, with the vacuum level at the top, a “higher” work function is illustrated as further away from the vacuum level in the downward direction. Thus, the definitions of HOMO and LUMO energy levels follow a different convention than work functions.

More details on OLEDs, and the definitions described above, can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a compound having the formula:

Formula I is provided. In the compound of Formula I, R₁, R₂, and R₃ represent mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa-substitutions, or no substitution. R₁, R₂, and R₃ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. R₂, and R₃ are unfused, while R₁ may be optionally fused. L is a single bond, an aryl group, or a heteroaryl group, and L may be optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.

In one aspect, L is aryl. In one aspect, L is an unsubstituted aryl. In one aspect, L is phenyl. In one aspect, L is a single bond.

In one aspect, L is a nitrogen-, an oxygen-, a selenium-, or a sulfur-containing heteroaryl group.

In one aspect, L contains a group having the formula:

-   -   Z is selected from the group consisting of NR′, O, S, and Se,         and X₁ to X₈ are independently selected from the group         consisting of N and CR″. R′ and R″ are independently selected         from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl,         cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino,         silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl,         heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile,         isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and         combinations thereof.

In one aspect, L contains one or more groups selected from the group consisting of:

In one aspect, R₁, R₂, and R₃ are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, aryl, heteroaryl, and combinations thereof. In one aspect, R₂ and R₃ are hydrogen.

In one aspect, the compound is selected from the group consisting of Compound 1-Compound 26.

In one aspect, a first device is provided. The first device comprises an organic light emitting device, further comprising: an anode, a cathode, and an organic layer, disposed between the anode and the cathode, comprising a compound having the formula:

Formula I is provided. In the compound of Formula I, R₁, R₂, and R₃ represent mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa-substitutions, or no substitution. R₁, R₂, and R₃ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. R₂, and R₃ are unfused, while R₁ may be optionally fused. L is a single bond, an aryl group, or a heteroaryl group, and L may be optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.

In one aspect, the organic layer is an emissive layer and the compound of Formula I is a host.

In one aspect, the first device further comprises a first dopant material that is an emissive dopant comprising a transition metal complex having at least one ligand or part of the ligand if the ligand is more than bidentate selected from the group consisting of:

wherein R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) may represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution and wherein R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Additionally, any two adjacent substituents of R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand.

In one aspect, the transition metal complex having at least one ligand or part of the ligand if the ligand is more than bidentate selected from the group consisting of:

In one aspect, the first device further comprises a second dopant material.

In one aspect, the second dopant material comprises a metal complex.

In one aspect, the emissive dopant is a phosphorescent emitter having a peak wavelength of between about 580 nanometers to about 700 nanometers.

In one aspect, the organic layer is deposited using a solution process.

In one aspect, the organic layer is a non-emissive layer.

In one aspect, the organic layer is a first organic layer, and the device further comprises a second organic layer that is a non-emissive layer and the compound having Formula I is a material in the second organic layer.

In one aspect, the second organic layer is a blocking layer comprising the compound having the Formula I.

In one aspect, the first device is a consumer product. In one aspect, the first device is an organic light-emitting device. In one aspect, the first device comprises a lighting panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an organic light emitting device.

FIG. 2 shows an inverted organic light emitting device that does not have a separate electron transport layer.

FIG. 3 shows a compound of Formula I.

FIG. 4 shows a plot of luminous intensity over time for devices containing compounds of Formula I.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally, an OLED comprises at least one organic layer disposed between and electrically connected to an anode and a cathode. When a current is applied, the anode injects holes and the cathode injects electrons into the organic layer(s). The injected holes and electrons each migrate toward the oppositely charged electrode. When an electron and hole localize on the same molecule, an “exciton,” which is a localized electron-hole pair having an excited energy state, is formed. Light is emitted when the exciton relaxes via a photoemissive mechanism. In some cases, the exciton may be localized on an excimer or an exciplex. Non-radiative mechanisms, such as thermal relaxation, may also occur, but are generally considered undesirable.

The initial OLEDs used emissive molecules that emitted light from their singlet states (“fluorescence”) as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,292, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Fluorescent emission generally occurs in a time frame of less than 10 nanoseconds.

More recently, OLEDs having emissive materials that emit light from triplet states (“phosphorescence”) have been demonstrated. Baldo et al., “Highly Efficient Phosphorescent Emission from Organic Electroluminescent Devices,” Nature, vol. 395, 151-154, 1998; (“Baldo-I”) and Baldo et al., “Very high-efficiency green organic light-emitting devices based on electrophosphorescence,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 75, No. 3, 4-6 (1999) (“Baldo-II”), which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Phosphorescence is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704 at cols. 5-6, which are incorporated by reference.

FIG. 1 shows an organic light emitting device 100. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Device 100 may include a substrate 110, an anode 115, a hole injection layer 120, a hole transport layer 125, an electron blocking layer 130, an emissive layer 135, a hole blocking layer 140, an electron transport layer 145, an electron injection layer 150, a protective layer 155, and a cathode 160. Cathode 160 is a compound cathode having a first conductive layer 162 and a second conductive layer 164. Device 100 may be fabricated by depositing the layers described, in order. The properties and functions of these various layers, as well as example materials, are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704 at cols. 6-10, which are incorporated by reference.

More examples for each of these layers are available. For example, a flexible and transparent substrate-anode combination is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,363, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. An example of a p-doped hole transport layer is m-MTDATA doped with F.sub.4-TCNQ at a molar ratio of 50:1, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0230980, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Examples of emissive and host materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,238 to Thompson et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. An example of an n-doped electron transport layer is BPhen doped with Li at a molar ratio of 1:1, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0230980, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,703,436 and 5,707,745, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties, disclose examples of cathodes including compound cathodes having a thin layer of metal such as Mg:Ag with an overlying transparent, electrically-conductive, sputter-deposited ITO layer. The theory and use of blocking layers is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,147 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0230980, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Examples of injection layers are provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0174116, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. A description of protective layers may be found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0174116, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 2 shows an inverted OLED 200. The device includes a substrate 210, a cathode 215, an emissive layer 220, a hole transport layer 225, and an anode 230. Device 200 may be fabricated by depositing the layers described, in order. Because the most common OLED configuration has a cathode disposed over the anode, and device 200 has cathode 215 disposed under anode 230, device 200 may be referred to as an “inverted” OLED. Materials similar to those described with respect to device 100 may be used in the corresponding layers of device 200. FIG. 2 provides one example of how some layers may be omitted from the structure of device 100.

The simple layered structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided by way of non-limiting example, and it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be used in connection with a wide variety of other structures. The specific materials and structures described are exemplary in nature, and other materials and structures may be used. Functional OLEDs may be achieved by combining the various layers described in different ways, or layers may be omitted entirely, based on design, performance, and cost factors. Other layers not specifically described may also be included. Materials other than those specifically described may be used. Although many of the examples provided herein describe various layers as comprising a single material, it is understood that combinations of materials, such as a mixture of host and dopant, or more generally a mixture, may be used. Also, the layers may have various sublayers. The names given to the various layers herein are not intended to be strictly limiting. For example, in device 200, hole transport layer 225 transports holes and injects holes into emissive layer 220, and may be described as a hole transport layer or a hole injection layer. In one embodiment, an OLED may be described as having an “organic layer” disposed between a cathode and an anode. This organic layer may comprise a single layer, or may further comprise multiple layers of different organic materials as described, for example, with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Structures and materials not specifically described may also be used, such as OLEDs comprised of polymeric materials (PLEDs) such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,190 to Friend et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. By way of further example, OLEDs having a single organic layer may be used. OLEDs may be stacked, for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,745 to Forrest et al, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. The OLED structure may deviate from the simple layered structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, the substrate may include an angled reflective surface to improve out-coupling, such as a mesa structure as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,195 to Forrest et al., and/or a pit structure as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,893 to Bulovic et al., which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Unless otherwise specified, any of the layers of the various embodiments may be deposited by any suitable method. For the organic layers, preferred methods include thermal evaporation, ink-jet, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,013,982 and 6,087,196, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties, organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD), such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,102 to Forrest et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, and deposition by organic vapor jet printing (OVJP), such as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/233,470, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Other suitable deposition methods include spin coating and other solution based processes. Solution based processes are preferably carried out in nitrogen or an inert atmosphere. For the other layers, preferred methods include thermal evaporation. Preferred patterning methods include deposition through a mask, cold welding such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,294,398 and 6,468,819, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties, and patterning associated with some of the deposition methods such as ink jet and OVJD. Other methods may also be used. The materials to be deposited may be modified to make them compatible with a particular deposition method. For example, substituents such as alkyl and aryl groups, branched or unbranched, and preferably containing at least 3 carbons, may be used in small molecules to enhance their ability to undergo solution processing. Substituents having 20 carbons or more may be used, and 3-20 carbons is a preferred range. Materials with asymmetric structures may have better solution processibility than those having symmetric structures, because asymmetric materials may have a lower tendency to recrystallize. Dendrimer substituents may be used to enhance the ability of small molecules to undergo solution processing.

Devices fabricated in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be incorporated into a wide variety of consumer products, including flat panel displays, computer monitors, medical monitors, televisions, billboards, lights for interior or exterior illumination and/or signaling, heads up displays, fully transparent displays, flexible displays, laser printers, telephones, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, digital cameras, camcorders, viewfinders, micro-displays, vehicles, a large area wall, theater or stadium screen, or a sign. Various control mechanisms may be used to control devices fabricated in accordance with the present invention, including passive matrix and active matrix. Many of the devices are intended for use in a temperature range comfortable to humans, such as 18 degrees C. to 30 degrees C., and more preferably at room temperature (20-25 degrees C.).

The materials and structures described herein may have applications in devices other than OLEDs. For example, other optoelectronic devices such as organic solar cells and organic photodetectors may employ the materials and structures. More generally, organic devices, such as organic transistors, may employ the materials and structures.

The terms halo, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, arylkyl, heterocyclic group, aryl, aromatic group, and heteroaryl are known to the art, and are defined in U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704 at cols. 31-32, which are incorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment, a compound having the formula:

Formula I is provided. In the compound of Formula I, R₁, R₂, and R₃ represent mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa-substitutions, or no substitution. R₁, R₂, and R₃ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. R₂, and R₃ are unfused, while R₁ may be optionally fused. L is a single bond, an aryl group, or a heteroaryl group, and L may be optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. In the compound of Formula I, R₁ can be attached at or to any of the positions on the triphenylene ring that are capable of being substituted, and R₂ and R₃ can be attached at or to any of the positions on the respective naphthalene rings that are capable of being substituted.

A mono substituted naphthalene has two different positions: α and β, as show in the figure below. When two naphthalenes are joined together, there are three possible substitution patterns: αα, αβ, and ββ. Different substitution patterns can result in different material properties, such as solid state packing, solubility, triplet energy, electrochemical properties, and sublimation properties. These properties can give rise to very different device performance characteristics when such compounds are used in OLED devices.

FIG. 1: α and β positions on a naphthalene ring system.

It has surprisingly been discovered that a combination of a triphenylene ring system and a binaphthalene with an αβ connection has a synergistic effect and provides compounds with not only excellent characteristics as, for example, hosts in red phosphorescent OLEDs, but also having exceptional solubility in organic solvents. Compounds of Formula I have shown solubility of up to 0.8 wt % in organic solvents such as toluene. This property allows for compounds of Formula I to be used in solution processing of OLEDs.

In one embodiment, L is aryl. In one embodiment, L is an unsubstituted aryl. In one embodiment, L is phenyl. In one embodiment, L is a single bond.

In one embodiment, L is a nitrogen-, an oxygen-, a selenium-, or a sulfur-containing heteroaryl group.

In one embodiment, L contains a group having the formula:

Z is selected from the group consisting of NR′, O, S, and Se, and X₁ to X₈ are independently selected from the group consisting of N and CR″. R′ and R″ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, L contains one or more groups selected from the group consisting of:

In one embodiment, R₁, R₂, and R₃ are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, aryl, heteroaryl, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, R₂ and R₃ are hydrogen.

In one embodiment, the compound is selected from the group consisting of:

In one embodiment, a first device is provided. The first device comprises an organic light emitting device, further comprising: an anode, a cathode, and an organic layer, disposed between the anode and the cathode, comprising a compound having the formula:

Formula I is provided. In the compound of Formula I, R₁, R₂, and R₃ represent mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa-substitutions, or no substitution. R₁, R₂, and R₃ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. R₂, and R₃ are unfused, while R₁ may be optionally fused. L is a single bond, an aryl group, or a heteroaryl group, and L may be optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the organic layer is an emissive layer and the compound of Formula I is a host.

In one embodiment, the first device further comprises a first dopant material that is an emissive dopant comprising a transition metal complex having at least one ligand or part of the ligand if the ligand is more than bidentate selected from the group consisting of:

wherein R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) may represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution and wherein R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Additionally, any two adjacent substituents of R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand.

In one embodiment, the transition metal complex having at least one ligand or part of the ligand if the ligand is more than bidentate selected from the group consisting of:

In one embodiment, the first device further comprises a second dopant material.

In one embodiment, the second dopant material comprises a metal complex.

In one embodiment, the emissive dopant is a phosphorescent emitter having a peak wavelength of between about 580 nanometers to about 700 nanometers.

In one embodiment, the organic layer is deposited using a solution process.

In one embodiment, the organic layer is a non-emissive layer.

In one embodiment, the organic layer is a first organic layer, and the device further comprises a second organic layer that is a non-emissive layer and the compound having Formula I is a material in the second organic layer.

In one embodiment, the second organic layer is a blocking layer comprising the compound having the Formula I.

In one embodiment, the first device is a consumer product. In one embodiment, the first device is an organic light-emitting device. In one embodiment, the first device comprises a lighting panel.

DEVICE EXAMPLES

All devices are fabricated by high vacuum (˜10⁻⁷ Torr) thermal evaporation (VTE). The anode electrode is 120 nm of indium tin oxide (ITO). The cathode consisted of 1 nm of LiF followed by 100 nm of Aluminum. All devices were encapsulated with a glass lid sealed with an epoxy resin in a nitrogen glove box (1 ppm of H₂O and O₂) immediately after fabrication, and a moisture getter was incorporated inside the package. All device examples had organic stacks consisting of, sequentially, from the ITO surface, 10 nm thick of Compound A as the hole injection layer (HIL), 40 nm of 4,4′-bis[N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenylamino]biphenyl (α-NPD), as the hole transporting layer (HTL), and 30 nm emissive layer (EML). For the EML, 2- or 3-components (Compound 1:Red Emitter-1 or Compound 1:Compound A:Red Emitter-1) are co-evaporated. The doping ratio of the Red Emitter-1 is 10 wt % in the 2-component EML, and 5 wt % in the 3-component EML. On top of the EML, 10 nm of BAlq is deposited as a hole blocking (BL) and then followed by 40 nm of tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)aluminum (Alq₃) as the ETL.

The structures of the aforementioned device components are as follows:

In the Comparative Devices, Host-1 was used as a comparative host in the device, while the other layers were the same. LG201 was purchased from LG Chemical Co. The materials and thicknesses of the layers were as follows:

Examples of 2-Component EML

Device 1 (Comparative Device), ITO (120 nm)/Compound A (10 nm)/NPD (40 nm)/Host-1:Red Emitter-1 (90:10; 30 nm)/BAlq (10 nm)/LG201 (40 nm)/LiF/Al.

Device 2, ITO (120 nm)/Compound A (10 nm)/NPD (40 nm)/Compound 1:Red Emitter-1 (90:10; 30 nm)/BAlq (10 nm)/LG201 (40 nm)/LiF/Al.

Examples of 3-Component EML

Device 3 (Comparative Device), ITO (120 nm)/Compound A (10 nm)/NPD (40 nm)/Host-1:Compound A:Red Emitter-1 (81:15:4; 30 nm)/BAlq (10 nm)/LG201 (40 nm)/LiF/Al.

Device 4, ITO (120 nm)/Compound A (10 nm)/NPD (40 nm)/Compound 1: Compound A:Red Emitter-1 (81:15:4; 30 nm)/BAlq (10 nm)/LG201 (40 nm)/LiF/Al.

TABLE 1 Device 1 Device 2 Device 3 Device 4 (Comparative (Compound (Comparative (Compound Device) 1) Device) 1) V (V) 6.8 7.3 6.7 6 @ 1000 cd/m² LE (cd/A) 10.6 18.2 19.7 21.9 @ 1000 cd/m² LT90 14 112 160 270 (hours) @ 8,000 cd/m² CIE (x, y) (0.67, 0.33) (0.67, 0.33) (0.64, 0.34) (0.65, 0.34)

Table 1 is a summary of the device data. Device 1 and 2 have a 2-component EML, and Device 3 and 4 have a 3-component EML. The applied voltage (V) and luminous efficiency LE (cd/A) are measured at 1000 cd/m². The device with Compound 1 has a higher voltage than Comparative Device with the 2-component EML, and the voltage is reversed with the 3-component EML, 6.7V for Comparative Device and 6.0 V for the device containing Compound 1. The efficiency results demonstrate that the luminance efficiency of the devices using Compound 1 are substantially higher than the devices using the comparative compound. The luminous efficiencies of the device with Compound 1 are 18.2 and 21.9 cd/A for 2- and 3-component EML, but only 10.6 and 19.7 cd/A for comparative devices. The colors are almost the same between the devices with Comparative compound and Compound 1, but there is color difference between 2- and 3-component EML due to red emitter doping concentration. The devices with 10 wt % doping (CIE x=0.67 for Device 1 and Device 2) show more saturated red color than the device with 5 wt % doping (CIE x=0.64 for Device 3 and 4).

FIG. 4 also shows the operating lifetimes of the red-emitting devices, depicted as a plot of luminous intensity over time. The lifetime LT90 is defined by the time elapsed for decay of brightness to 90% of the initial brightness level of 8,000 cd/m², at room temperature under a constant current density. The device using the comparative compound has a lifetime of only 14 hours, compared to 112 hours for the device using Compound 1 with a 2-component EML. The device lifetime can be improved by using a 3-component EML: 160 hours for comparative device and 270 hours for the device with Compound 1. Thus, compounds of Formula I such as Compound 1 can improve device lifetimes considerably using both 2- and 3-component EML.

Combination with Other Materials

The materials described herein as useful for a particular layer in an organic light emitting device may be used in combination with a wide variety of other materials present in the device. For example, emissive dopants disclosed herein may be used in conjunction with a wide variety of hosts, transport layers, blocking layers, injection layers, electrodes and other layers that may be present. The materials described or referred to below are non-limiting examples of materials that may be useful in combination with the compounds disclosed herein, and one of skill in the art can readily consult the literature to identify other materials that may be useful in combination.

HIL/HTL:

A hole injecting/transporting material to be used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and any compound may be used as long as the compound is typically used as a hole injecting/transporting material. Examples of the material include, but not limit to: a phthalocyanine or porphryin derivative; an aromatic amine derivative; an indolocarbazole derivative; a polymer containing fluorohydrocarbon; a polymer with conductivity dopants; a conducting polymer, such as PEDOT/PSS; a self-assembly monomer derived from compounds such as phosphonic acid and sliane derivatives; a metal oxide derivative, such as MoO_(x); a p-type semiconducting organic compound, such as 1,4,5,8,9,12-Hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile; a metal complex, and a cross-linkable compounds.

Examples of aromatic amine derivatives used in HIL or HTL include, but not limit to the following general structures:

Each of Ar¹ to Ar⁹ is selected from the group consisting aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic compounds such as benzene, biphenyl, triphenyl, triphenylene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenalene, phenanthrene, fluorene, pyrene, chrysene, perylene, azulene; group consisting aromatic heterocyclic compounds such as dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, furan, thiophene, benzofuran, benzothiophene, benzoselenophene, carbazole, indolocarbazole, pyridylindole, pyrrolodipyridine, pyrazole, imidazole, triazole, oxazole, thiazole, oxadiazole, oxatriazole, dioxazole, thiadiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, oxazine, oxathiazine, oxadiazine, indole, benzimidazole, indazole, indoxazine, benzoxazole, benzisoxazole, benzothiazole, quinoline, isoquinoline, cinnoline, quinazoline, quinoxaline, naphthyridine, phthalazine, pteridine, xanthene, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, phenoxazine, benzofuropyridine, furodipyridine, benzothienopyridine, thienodipyridine, benzoselenophenopyridine, and selenophenodipyridine; and group consisting 2 to 10 cyclic structural units which are groups of the same type or different types selected from the aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic group and the aromatic heterocyclic group and are bonded to each other directly or via at least one of oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, sulfur atom, silicon atom, phosphorus atom, boron atom, chain structural unit and the aliphatic cyclic group. Wherein each Ar is further substituted by a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.

In one aspect, Ar¹ to Ar⁹ is independently selected from the group consisting of:

k is an integer from 1 to 20; X¹ to X⁸ is C (including CH) or N; Ar¹ has the same group defined above.

Examples of metal complexes used in HIL or HTL include, but not limit to the following general formula:

M is a metal, having an atomic weight greater than 40; (Y¹-Y²) is a bidentate ligand, Y¹ and Y² are independently selected from C, N, O, P, and S; L is an ancillary ligand; m is an integer value from 1 to the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal; and m+n is the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal.

In one aspect, (Y¹-Y²) is a 2-phenylpyridine derivative.

In another aspect, (Y¹-Y²) is a carbene ligand.

In another aspect, M is selected from Ir, Pt, Os, and Zn.

In a further aspect, the metal complex has a smallest oxidation potential in solution vs. Fc⁺/Fc couple less than about 0.6 V.

Host:

The light emitting layer of the organic EL device of the present invention preferably contains at least a metal complex as light emitting material, and may contain a host material using the metal complex as a dopant material. Examples of the host material are not particularly limited, and any metal complexes or organic compounds may be used as long as the triplet energy of the host is larger than that of the dopant. While the Table below categorizes host materials as preferred for devices that emit various colors, any host material may be used with any dopant so long as the triplet criteria is satisfied.

Examples of metal complexes used as host are preferred to have the following general formula:

M is a metal; (Y³-Y⁴) is a bidentate ligand, Y³ and Y⁴ are independently selected from C, N, O, P, and S; L is an ancillary ligand; m is an integer value from 1 to the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal; and m+n is the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal.

In one aspect, the metal complexes are:

(O—N) is a bidentate ligand, having metal coordinated to atoms O and N.

In another aspect, M is selected from Ir and Pt.

In a further aspect, (Y³-Y⁴) is a carbene ligand.

Examples of organic compounds used as host are selected from the group consisting aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic compounds such as benzene, biphenyl, triphenyl, triphenylene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenalene, phenanthrene, fluorene, pyrene, chrysene, perylene, azulene; group consisting aromatic heterocyclic compounds such as dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, furan, thiophene, benzofuran, benzothiophene, benzoselenophene, carbazole, indolocarbazole, pyridylindole, pyrrolodipyridine, pyrazole, imidazole, triazole, oxazole, thiazole, oxadiazole, oxatriazole, dioxazole, thiadiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, oxazine, oxathiazine, oxadiazine, indole, benzimidazole, indazole, indoxazine, benzoxazole, benzisoxazole, benzothiazole, quinoline, isoquinoline, cinnoline, quinazoline, quinoxaline, naphthyridine, phthalazine, pteridine, xanthene, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, phenoxazine, benzofuropyridine, furodipyridine, benzothienopyridine, thienodipyridine, benzoselenophenopyridine, and selenophenodipyridine; and group consisting 2 to 10 cyclic structural units which are groups of the same type or different types selected from the aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic group and the aromatic heterocyclic group and are bonded to each other directly or via at least one of oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, sulfur atom, silicon atom, phosphorus atom, boron atom, chain structural unit and the aliphatic cyclic group. Wherein each group is further substituted by a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.

In one aspect, host compound contains at least one of the following groups in the molecule:

R¹ to R⁷ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof, when it is aryl or heteroaryl, it has the similar definition as Ar's mentioned above.

k is an integer from 0 to 20.

X¹ to X⁸ is selected from C (including CH) or N.

Z¹ and Z² is selected from NR¹, O, or S.

HBL:

A hole blocking layer (HBL) may be used to reduce the number of holes and/or excitons that leave the emissive layer. The presence of such a blocking layer in a device may result in substantially higher efficiencies as compared to a similar device lacking a blocking layer. Also, a blocking layer may be used to confine emission to a desired region of an OLED.

In one aspect, compound used in HBL contains the same molecule or the same functional groups used as host described above.

In another aspect, compound used in HBL contains at least one of the following groups in the molecule:

k is an integer from 0 to 20; L is an ancillary ligand, m is an integer from 1 to 3.

ETL:

Electron transport layer (ETL) may include a material capable of transporting electrons. Electron transport layer may be intrinsic (undoped), or doped. Doping may be used to enhance conductivity. Examples of the ETL material are not particularly limited, and any metal complexes or organic compounds may be used as long as they are typically used to transport electrons.

In one aspect, compound used in ETL contains at least one of the following groups in the molecule:

R¹ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof, when it is aryl or heteroaryl, it has the similar definition as Ar's mentioned above.

Ar¹ to Ar³ has the similar definition as Ar's mentioned above.

k is an integer from 0 to 20.

X¹ to X⁸ is selected from C (including CH) or N.

In another aspect, the metal complexes used in ETL contains, but not limit to the following general formula:

(O—N) or (N—N) is a bidentate ligand, having metal coordinated to atoms O, N or N, N; L is an ancillary ligand; m is an integer value from 1 to the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal.

In any above-mentioned compounds used in each layer of the OLED device, the hydrogen atoms can be partially or fully deuterated.

In addition to and/or in combination with the materials disclosed herein, many hole injection materials, hole transporting materials, host materials, dopant materials, exiton/hole blocking layer materials, electron transporting and electron injecting materials may be used in an OLED. Non-limiting examples of the materials that may be used in an OLED in combination with materials disclosed herein are listed in Table 2 below. Table 2 lists non-limiting classes of materials, non-limiting examples of compounds for each class, and references that disclose the materials.

TABLE 2 MATERIAL EXAMPLES OF MATERIAL PUBLICATIONS Hole injection materials Phthalocyanine and porphryin compounds

Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 2160 (1996) Starburst triarylamines

J. Lumin. 72-74, 985 (1997) CF_(x) Fluoro- hydrocarbon polymer

Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 673 (2001) Conducting polymers (e.g., PEDOT:PSS, polyaniline, polypthiophene)

Synth. Met. 87, 171 (1997) WO2007002683 Phosphonic acid and sliane SAMs

US20030162053 Triarylamine or polythiophene polymers with conduc- tivity dopants

EP1725079A1

Organic com- pounds with conductive inorganic compounds, such as molyb- denum and tungsten oxides

US20050123751 SID Symposium Digest, 37, 923 (2006) WO2009018009 n-type semi- conducting organic complexes

US20020158242 Metal organo- metallic complexes

US20060240279 Cross-linkable compounds

US20080220265 Polythiophene based polymers and copolymers

WO 2011075644 EP2350216 Hole transporting materials Triarylamines (e.g., TPD, α-NPD)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 51, 913 (1987)

U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,569

EP650955

J. Mater. Chem. 3, 319 (1993)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 183503 (2007)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 183503 (2007) Triaylamine on spiro- fluorene core

Synth. Met. 91, 209 (1997) Arylamine carbazole compounds

Adv. Mater. 6, 677 (1994), US20080124572 Triarylamine with (di)benzo- thiophene/(di) benzofuran

US20070278938, US20080106190 US20110163302 Indolo- carbazoles

Synth. Met. 111, 421 (2000) Isoindole compounds

Chem. Mater. 15, 3148 (2003) Metal carbene complexes

US20080018221 Phosphorescent OLED host materials Red hosts Arylcarbazoles

Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 1622 (2001) Metal 8-hydroxy- quinolates (e.g., Alq₃, BAlq)

Nature 395, 151 (1998)

US20060202194

WO2005014551

WO2006072002 Metal phenoxy- benzothiazole compounds

Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 123509 (2007) Conjugated oligomers and polymers (e.g., poly- fluorene)

Org. Electron. 1, 15 (2000) Aromatic fused rings

WO2009066779, WO2009066778, WO2009063833, US20090045731, US20090045730, WO2009008311, US20090008605, US20090009065 Zinc complexes

WO2010056066 Chrysene based compounds

WO2011086863 Green hosts Arylcarbazoles

Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 1622 (2001)

US20030175553

WO2001039234 Aryl- triphenylene compounds

US20060280965

US20060280965

WO2009021126 Poly-fused heteroaryl compounds

US20090309488 US20090302743 US20100012931 Donor acceptor type molecules

WO2008056746

WO2010107244 Aza-carbazole/ DBT/DBF

JP2008074939

US20100187984 Polymers (e.g., PVK)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 2280 (2000) Spirofluorene compounds

WO2004093207 Metal phenoxy- benzooxazole compounds

WO2005089025

WO2006132173

JP200511610 Spirofluorene- carbazole compounds

JP2007254297

JP2007254297 Indolocabazoles

WO2007063796

WO2007063754 5-member ring electron deficient heterocycles (e.g., triazole, oxadiazole)

J. Appl. Phys. 90, 5048 (2001)

WO2004107822 Tetraphenylene complexes

US20050112407 Metal phenoxy- pyridine compounds

WO2005030900 Metal coor- dination complexes (e.g., Zn, Al with N{circumflex over ( )}N ligands)

US20040137268, US20040137267 Blue hosts Arylcarbazoles

Appl. Phys. Lett, 82, 2422 (2003)

US20070190359 Dibenzo- thiophene/ Dibenzo- furan- carbazole compounds

WO2006114966, US20090167162

US20090167162

WO2009086028

US20090030202, US20090017330

US20100084966 Silicon aryl compounds

US20050238919

WO2009003898 Silicon/ Germanium aryl compounds

EP2034538A Aryl benzoyl ester

WO2006100298 Carbazole linked by non- conjugated groups

US20040115476 Aza-carbazoles

US20060121308 High triplet metal organo- metallic complex

U.S. Pat. No. 7,154,114 Phosphorescent dopants Red dopants Heavy metal porphyrins (e.g., PtOEP)

Nature 395, 151 (1998) Iridium (III) organometallic complexes

Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 1622 (2001)

US2006835469

US2006835469

US20060202194

US20060202194

US20070087321

US20080261076 US20100090591

US20070087321

Adv. Mater. 19, 739 (2007)

WO2009100991

WO2008101842

U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,618 Platinum (II) organo- metallic complexes

WO2003040257

US20070103060 Osminum (III) complexes

Chem. Mater. 17, 3532 (2005) Ruthenium (II) complexes

Adv. Mater. 17, 1059 (2005) Rhenium (I), (II), and (III) complexes

US20050244673 Green dopants Iridium (III) organo- metallic complexes

  and its derivatives Inorg. Chem. 40, 1704 (2001)

US20020034656

U.S. Pat. No. 7,332,232

US20090108737

WO2010028151

EP1841834B

US20060127696

US20090039776

U.S. Pat. No. 6,921,915

US20100244004

U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,266

Chem. Mater. 16, 2480 (2004)

US20070190359

US 20060008670 JP2007123392

WO2010086089, WO2011044988

Adv. Mater. 16, 2003 (2004)

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45,7800

WO2009050290

US20090165846

US20080015355

US20010015432

US20100295032 Monomer for polymeric metal organo- metallic compounds

U.S. Pat. No. 7,250,226, U.S. Pat. No. 7,396,598 Pt (II) organo- metallic complexes, including polydentated ligands

Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 153505 (2005)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 153505 (2005)

Chem. Lett. 34, 592 (2005)

WO2002015645

US20060263635

US20060182992 US20070103060 Cu complexes

WO2009000673

US20070111026 Gold complexes

Chem. Commun. 2906 (2005) Rhenium (III) complexes

Inorg. Chem. 42, 1248 (2003) Osmium (II) complexes

U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704 Deuterated organometallic complexes

US20030138657 Organometallic complexes with two or more metal centers

US20030152802

U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,928 Blue dopants Iridium (III) organometallic complexes

WO2002002714

WO2006009024

US20060251923 US20110057559 US20110204333

U.S. Pat. No. 7,393,599, WO2006056418, US20050260441, WO2005019373

U.S. Pat. No. 7,534,505

WO2011051404

U.S. Pat. No. 7,445,855

US20070190359, US20080297033 US20100148663

U.S. Pat. No. 7,338,722

US20020134984

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 47, 1 (2008)

Chem. Mater. 18, 5119 (2006)

Inorg. Chem. 46, 4308 (2007)

WO2005123873

WO2005123873

WO2007004380

WO2006082742 Osmium (II) complexes

U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704

Organometallics 23, 3745 (2004) Gold complexes

Appl. Phys. Lett.74, 1361 (1999) Platinum (II) complexes

WO2006098120, WO2006103874 Pt tetradentate complexes with at least one metal- carbene bond

U.S. Pat. No. 7,655,323 Exciton/hole blocking layer materials Bathocuprine compounds (e.g., BCP, BPhen)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 4 (1999)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 449 (2001) Metal 8- hydroxy- quinolates (e.g., BAlq)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 162 (2002) 5-member ring electron deficient heterocycles such as triazole, oxadiazole, imidazole, benzoimidazole

Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 162 (2002) Triphenylene compounds

US20050025993 Fluorinated aromatic compounds

Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 156 (2001) Phenothiazine- S-oxide

WO2008132085 Silylated five-membered nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur or phosphorus dibenzo- heterocycles

WO2010079051 Aza-carbazoles

US20060121308 Electron transporting materials Anthracene- benzoimidazole compounds

WO2003060956

US20090179554 Aza triphenylene derivatives

US20090115316 Anthracene- benzothiazole compounds

Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 063504 (2006) Metal 8- hydroxy- quinolates (e.g., Alq₃, Zrq₄)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 51, 913 (1987) U.S. Pat. No. 7,230,107 Metal hydroxy- benoquinolates

Chem. Lett. 5, 905 (1993) Bathocuprine compounds such as BCP, BPhen, etc

Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 263503 (2007)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 449 (2001) 5-member ring electron deficient heterocycles (e.g., triazole, oxadiazole, imidazole, benzo- imidazole)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 865 (1999)

Appl. Phys. Lett. 55, 1489 (1989)

Jpn. J. Apply. Phys. 32, L917 (1993) Silole compounds

Org. Electron. 4, 113 (2003) Arylborane compounds

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 9714 (1998) Fluorinated aromatic compounds

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 1832 (2000) Fullerene (e.g., C60)

US20090101870 Triazine complexes

US20040036077 Zn (N{circumflex over ( )}N) complexes

U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,187

EXPERIMENTAL

Chemical abbreviations used throughout this document are as follows: Cy is cyclohexyl, dba is dibenzylideneacetone, EtOAc is ethyl acetate, DME is dimethoxyethane, dppe is 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, THF is tetrahydrofuran, DCM is dichloromethane, S-Phos is dicyclohexyl(2′,6′-dimethoxy-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-yl)phosphine, Tf is trifluoromethylsulfonate.

Synthesis of Compound 1

Synthesis of 6-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate

Naphthalene-2,6-diol (12 g, 74.9 mmol) was dissolved in 30 mL of pyridine and 400 mL of DCM. The solution was cooled to 0° C. with an ice/water bath. To the solution was added trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (12.60 mL, 74.9 mmol) dropwise. The reaction was allowed to react at this temperature for 30 minutes. Water was added to quench the reaction. The organic layer was separated and washed with ammonium chloride. The organic layer was separated and dried over MgSO₄. The solvent was evaporated and the residue was purified by column using 2:1 DCM:hexanes (v/v) to pure DCM as solvent to give 6-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate (10 g, 45.7% yield).

Synthesis of [1,2′-binaphthalen]-6′-ol

Naphthalen-1-ylboronic acid (5.30 g, 30.8 mmol), 6-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate (7.5 g, 25.7 mmol), potassium phosphate (10.90 g, 51.3 mmol) were mixed in 200 mL of THF and 20 mL of water and bubbled with nitrogen for 20 minutes. Pd₂(dba)₃ (0.235 g, 0.257 mmol) and [1,1′-biphenyl]-2-yldicyclohexylphosphine (0.180 g, 0.513 mmol) were added to the reaction mixture. The reaction was refluxed overnight. After cooling, the reaction mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate and washed with brine. The organic layer was separated and dried over MgSO₄. The residue was purified by column using 1:2 hexanes:DCM (v/v) to give [1,2′-binaphthalen]-6′-ol (8.4 g, 95% yield).

Synthesis of [1,2′-binaphthalen]-6′-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate

A mixture of [1,2′-binaphthalen]-6′-ol (8.4 g, 31.1 mmol) and pyridine (5.03 mL, 62.1 mmol) were added to 200 mL of dichloromethane. The solution was cooled to 0° C. and trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (6.27 mL, 37.3 mmol) was added dropwise to the mixture. The reaction was stirred for 1 hour at this temperature. Water was added and the organic layer was separated. The aqueous layer was washed with DCM. The organic layers were combined and dried over MgSO₄. The solvent was then evaporated. The residue was adsorbed onto Celite® and chromatographed on silica gel with 1:2 dichloromethane:hexanes (v/v) to give [1,2′-binaphthalen]-6′-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate (10.7 g, 86% yield).

Synthesis of Compound 1

4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-2-(3-(triphenylen-2-yl)phenyl)-1,3,2-dioxaborolane (12.83 g, 29.8 mmol), [1,2′-binaphthalen]-6′-yltrifluoromethanesulfonate (10 g, 24.85 mmol), and potassium phosphate (10.55 g, 49.7 mmol) were mixed in 500 mL of toluene and 50 mL of water. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen for 20 minutes. Pd₂(dba)₃ (0.228 g, 0.249 mmol) and dicyclohexyl(2′,6′-dimethoxy-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-yl)phosphine (S-Phos) (0.408 g, 0.994 mmol) were added to the reaction mixture. The reaction mixture was refluxed for 15 hours. After cooling the reaction, the organic layer was separated. The solvent was evaporated and the residue was purified by column using 1:5 DCM:hexanes (v/v) as solvent. The product was quite insoluble in the eluent, and no separation was achieved. All the fractions were combined (13.2 g) and dissolved in 200 mL of DCM, to which 400 mL of hexanes were added. The DCM was evaporated and the solid was collected. The process was repeated three times to give compound 1 (11.7 g, 85%, HPLC, 99.9% pure).

It is understood that the various embodiments described herein are by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. For example, many of the materials and structures described herein may be substituted with other materials and structures without deviating from the spirit of the invention. The present invention as claimed may therefore include variations from the particular examples and preferred embodiments described herein, as will be apparent to one of skill in the art. It is understood that various theories as to why the invention works are not intended to be limiting. 

1. A compound having the formula:

wherein R₁, R₂, and R₃ represent mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa-substitutions, or no substitution; wherein R₁, R₂, and R₃ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof; wherein R₂, and R₃ are unfused; wherein R₁ may be optionally fused; wherein L is a single bond, an aryl group, or a heteroaryl group; and wherein L may be optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.
 2. The compound of claim 1, wherein L is aryl.
 3. The compound of claim 2, wherein L is unsubstituted aryl.
 4. The compound of claim 3, wherein L is phenyl.
 5. The compound of claim 1, wherein L is a single bond.
 6. The compound of claim 1, wherein L is a nitrogen-, an oxygen-, a selenium-, or a sulfur-containing heteroaryl group.
 7. The compound of claim 6, wherein L contains a group having the formula:

wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of NR′, O, S, and Se; wherein X₁ to X₈ are independently selected from the group consisting of N and CR″; wherein R′ and R″ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.
 8. The compound of claim 6, wherein L contains one or more groups selected from the group consisting of:


9. The compound of claim 1, wherein R₁, R₂, and R₃ are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, aryl, heteroaryl, and combinations thereof.
 10. The compound of claim 9, wherein R₂ and R₃ are hydrogen.
 11. The compound of claim 1, wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:


12. A first device comprising an organic light emitting device, further comprising: an anode; a cathode; and an organic layer, disposed between the anode and the cathode, comprising a compound having the formula:

wherein R₁, R₂, and R₃ represent mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa-substitutions, or no substitution; wherein R₁, R₂, and R₃ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof; wherein R₂, and R₃ are unfused; wherein R₁ may be optionally fused; wherein L is a single bond, an aryl group, or a heteroaryl group; and wherein L may be optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.
 13. The first device of claim 12, wherein the organic layer is an emissive layer and the compound of Formula I is a host.
 14. The first device of claim 13, further comprising a first dopant material that is an emissive dopant comprising a transition metal complex having at least one ligand or part of the ligand if the ligand is more than bidentate selected from the group consisting of:

wherein R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) may represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution; wherein R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof; and wherein two adjacent substituents of R_(a), R_(b), R_(c), and R_(d) are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand.
 15. The first device of claim 14, wherein the transition metal complex having at least one ligand or part of the ligand if the ligand is more than bidentate selected from the group consisting of:


16. The first device of claim 14, further comprising a second dopant material.
 17. The first device of claim 16, wherein the second dopant material comprises a metal complex.
 18. The first device of claim 12, wherein the emissive dopant is a phosphorescent emitter having a peak wavelength of between about 580 nanometers to about 700 nanometers.
 19. The first device of claim 12, wherein the organic layer is deposited using a solution process.
 20. The first device of claim 12, wherein the organic layer is a non-emissive layer.
 21. The first device of claim 12, wherein the organic layer is a first organic layer, and the device further comprises a second organic layer that is a non-emissive layer and the compound having Formula I is a material in the second organic layer.
 22. The first device of claim 21, wherein the second organic layer is a blocking layer comprising the compound having the Formula I.
 23. The first device of claim 12, wherein the first device is a consumer product.
 24. The first device of claim 12, wherein the first device is an organic light-emitting device.
 25. The first device of claim 12, wherein the first device comprises a lighting panel. 